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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. net — for catching
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — after costs
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — a division
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com